Greater Bendigo records 143 new cases of COVID-19 on March 4, 2022

The total number of active cases in the area has jumped up again to 918.

Data from the Department of Health has revealed cases since the beginning of the pandemic in Greater Bendigo have hit 12,994.

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A Bendigo Health spokesperson said there are currently 10 people in hospital, with four in its respiratory ward and 97 in the Hospital in the Home program.

Elsewhere in the region, Mount Alexander Shire recorded 16 new cases, while Macedon Ranges Shire reported 43, and Central Goldfields Shire 12.

Campaspe numbers jumped up 69 cases, Buloke added another three and Loddon Shire recorded seven cases.

Victoria has recorded another 6,545 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, taking the state's total active cases to 42,046.

It comes as Greater Bendigo saw 179 cases on Thursday.

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The new cases recorded were made up of 4,312 rapid-antigen tests and 2,233 positive PCR test results.

Another 26 people died with the virus.

There were 245 people were in hospital, with 28 in ICU and seven on a ventilator.

'Sick of small change': Women's Health Services call for urgent funding

The message was, and is, clear.

Women's health needs more funding.

This call was once again echoed by 12 different women's health services across Victoria this week.

The services - representing the interests of women across every region in the state - came together on Tuesday to call for an immediate uplift in investment to secure the health and wellbeing of Victorian women.

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It comes after data was released showing Victorian women have gotten sicker, more anxious and depressed since the beginning of the pandemic.

Women's Health Victoria chief executive Dianne Hill said the continued erosion of women's mental health, which has seen an increase in the diagnosis of depression and anxiety in women - up to 38.2 per cent from 29.0 per cent five years ago - was more than concerning.

Bendigo Health has asked for only the most ill of patients to visit it's emergency department as the hospital is experiencing a busy period.

The organisation posted on social media earlier today saying that their emergency department was "extremely busy" and only the most ill and injured patients would be seen first.

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A Bendigo Health spokeswoman said if your condition was not an emergency than people should contact their local GP or nurse-on-call services as there could be long wait times.

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The call comes as the state recorded over 7,000 new cases of COVID-19 overnight, taking the state's total active cases to 41,660.

Bendigo Hospital is currently caring for 11 COVID-19 patients, seven of those are in the respiratory ward and one is intensive care.

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